Entry 001

[chippedsoul]

Who: Kazuma Asogi and Anyone!
Which: Open. Brackets prefer, ok with prose.
Where: Whatever prompts take us.
What: Catch-all for October


[A - Communal Garden]
Kazuma never thought he'd have a green thumb until his experience in the Realm of Stories revealed he actually liked taking care of plants. So when he heard about the communal garden, he of course wanted to check it out.

There were some empty patches when he visits, others already in use. He probably should have brought something to plant as well, something to keep in mind for next time. The garden was rather lively with it's magical frogs and fish too. It's honestly a nice setup, even if he finds the singing a bit overdone. There are some overgrowth and weeds that were missed here and there and, without thinking, Kazuma starts to work on removing them.

If he's not doing that, he's tending to what's already been planted or helping others plant things into the soil bed.

[B - The Cluckening]
". . ."

What in hellspawn thought to create giant chickens? Giant by chicken standards at least. Kazuma had found a few wandering around his treehouse this morning, probably to pick at the grubs. There's even a rooster, making it's cock-a-doodle morning call and blocking Kazuma from leaving. Unlike the docile chickens, the rooster proved to be one aggressive beast. He dodges a swipe from it's claws that dig into the bark of the treehouse as he manages to pass through the door.

"Tch. Stupid bird!" This is not how you convince someone to eat chicken. The rooster doesn't seem done with him though, and puffs himself up in a threatening display. Not wanting to have these birds lingering around his home, he draws his blades, stands his ground and they enter a stare down. Who will make the first move?

C-Wildcard [Feel free to make your own starter! Other planned stuff will be in the comment section. You can reach me at noletters or in the game's discord for plotting purposes]

Comments

[chippedsoul]

Well, they should probably head back to those farms. [And clean this up.] Are you going to help? [You're here now, make yourself useful]

[rokubro]

Aw, do I have to?

[He's just messing, he'll help. As he steps up to the giant rooster, he studies it curiously.]

But I haven't really tried rooster meat much. Isn't it tougher than chicken meat?

[chippedsoul]

Wouldn't know. I'm sure it's not as flavorful. [He looks between the dead rooster and Rokurou.]

Are you actually planning to cook it?

[rokubro]

I'm actually pretty tempted. Worst that happens is it doesn't taste good, right? Seems just a waste to throw it out otherwise.

[He feels the feathers and the beak. Hmmm.]

Rest of it could be used for materials at least.

[chippedsoul]

You'll be eating it yourself. Find some people to share it with if it's too much. [That isn't him. He looks to the rooster. If this were the Realm of Stories, he'd still have claws to prep this meat.]

Think you can grab me some water and boil it? We'll get the feathers off more easily letting it soak in hot water. [While he does that, he's going to figure out how to clean it's innards without his usual tools.]

[rokubro]

What, not even a little taste? It can't be that bad, just a little gamey. Unless you're not a dark meat kind of guy.

[He just grins as he heads towards the nearest well to fetch some water.]

CW: Blood, Organs

[chippedsoul]

I just don't like eating chicken. [That's all there is to it. All right, so what does he remember about preparing meat? Whenever Rokurou returns, Kazuma will have tied the beast to a sturdy branch to let it hang, it's innards indeed cleared out and placed in a nearby bucket.

He's in the process of cleaning off the blood from his swords and himself with some towel he found. His expression is visibly distant, like he had disconnected himself from what's happening in the present.]

[rokubro]

[When Rokurou returns, he sees the strung up rooster and actually pouts a little.]

Aw man, already started the fun without me?

[But he doesn't actually mind it. Although...the guy is looking a little spaced out. Hmm, he'll see how he responds first.]

[chippedsoul]

[He glances over to Rokurou. For a moment, there was a dark look in his eyes that fades away after he blinks.]

Would you like to do the honors of cutting it into smaller and manageable pieces?

[rokubro]

[...There it is again. Something about Kazuma's face that seems out of place. But again he pretends to not notice for now, instead walking towards the roost.]

I can get it cut up in five minutes easy.

[chippedsoul]

Just a moment. It'll be easier once we pull off the feathers. [Way to hype up Rokurou for nothing.] Where's the water?

[rokubro]

[Maaaaan.]

Right here.

[He holds up the bucket and brings it over.]

Don't suppose you know any fast magic or something that can instantly remove them, huh?

[chippedsoul]

Afraid not. [Besides being a cool swordsman, he's pretty normal. He'll take the bucket from Rokurou, careful not to touch the boiling water. Seeing as the bird is much bigger than the bucket itself, he'll just get to higher ground to douse the whole bird in the hot water.]

It's going to be hot, but help me pull these feathers off. [He'll start from the top.]

[rokubro]

That's something I bet someone would try to learn with the whole dream magic. Just wave your hand and all the feathers drop off.

[A grin as he waits for Kazuma to douse the bird before stepping into help pull off the feathers.]

At least these might sell for a good price. If not for decoration, maybe quills? [He holds up a particularly large one.]

[chippedsoul]

...That would be a convenient trick to learn. [The feathers practically slide off the skin of the bird now at least. They leave a pile beneath the bird, and some probably landing on Rokurou.]

Or to stuff pillows. I feel that would be benefit a world made of dreams.

[rokubro]

[He won't mind it, just going to grab whatever falls to pile them up neatly.]

That's a thought. Personally I was never a fan of feathered pillows. Always got stuck by the ends that poke through the fabric.

[chippedsoul]

I prefer a takamakura myself. I find modern pillows too short and soft for my taste. [Kazuma will come down to join him once he's finished with the top.]

[rokubro]

Takamakura...now that's something I haven't heard or slept on in a while.

[chippedsoul]

Oh? [...] Where are you from again? [Could have sworn it's not Japan. For the time being, the defeathering of bird has been complete.]

All right, now you can cut it. [...] You do know what cuts to make, right? [This isn't your typical hack and slash monster #10, since they plan to make a meal out of it.]

[rokubro]

My family is currently settled in the kingdom called Midgand, but my ancestors are from another continent called Japon. Never been there, but we keep the traditions and family values alive.

And don't worry, I cut and prepare meat all the time.

[Just. Don't let him overdo it or they'll have thin filets instead. But he'll prove his worth by twirling his blades around once before he suddenly makes a series of quick slashes. At first it nothing happens, but in true samurai style, the appropriately cut pieces of the rooster fall to the ground.]

[chippedsoul]

...Japon. [What is this, knock-off Japan?] I have the feeling Japon's traditions aren't too far off from Japan's.

[He stands back to let Rokurou work. He will certainly impress him by the end, getting even a small applause from him.] Impressive swordsmanship. [It shouldn't come as a surprise, but he's only ever known Rokurou's technique when he's fighting something. He glances at the pile of meat now.] You think this meat is actually worth anything? [Rooster after all is usually not eaten.]

[rokubro]

[Probably, yes.]

Only one way to find out. What are some things you guys have?

[Fufu, of course he's cool, he'll just fling his blades clean before sheathing them and crossing his arms to tap his chin in thought.]

As for the meat... Depends on how it ends up tasting. It's a rooster so it's going to be gamey, but is it like the roosters of our world or could they taste different because of different diet? And the whole dream world thing.

[chippedsoul]

I'll let you be the judge of that. [Dream world or not, rooster is still rooster to him and he's just not interested. He checks to see if there's a decent cut of meat for him to try.]

And that's a rather broad question. [He glances at Rokurou's swords for a moment.] I'm going to assume you have samurai at least. They used to hold power in my country, but had to eventually disband for the sake of modernization.

[rokubro]

More for me! I'll have Eizen try some, too. [He practically whistles at the boon of extra meat.]

And you're right, my family clan was a group of samurai who served one of the high nobles in Midgand before they were wiped out. I don't know if they're still around in other areas of the world or back in our ancestral home, though. At least in Midgand I'm the last, haha.

[He's pretty nonchalant about it.]

[chippedsoul]

[Oh, right, Eizen] He'll probably like it. [He doesn't recall him being particularly picky back in the Realm of Stories anyway.]

I'm part of a line of samurai, the current upholder of our traditions and techniques. Even if it's just a formality, my father still passed down all he knew before he passed. He even had a school at one point.